After 25 years in the event services industry, the Event Service Professionals Association (ESPA) is preparing for its 2013 Annual Conference at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin in Orlando, Fla., which will be held January 11-13. This year’s theme, “Perfecting the Art of Event Service,” invites attendees to enhance their event service skills.
Keynote speakers Amy Lynch and Kim Lear of BridgeWorks, a company whose focus is researching and resolving inter-generational clashes and encouraging collaboration between generations, will launch Saturday’s sessions and kick off the conference. Attendees will learn about the importance of bridging the gap between a rising generation, the millennial and those already in the workforce. Other sessions on Saturday include current catering trends; technologies to provide better service; do’s and don’ts of housing; wine-paring and upselling; site visits/pre-cons; and a session on the value of event “flair” by Lenny Talarico, director of events, MGM Resorts.
After a day of educational sessions, conference attendees will celebrate at the 25th Anniversary Black & White Beach Ball on Saturday evening. The “black-tie optional, flip-flop mandatory” event celebrates the past, present and future of ESPA.
Before heading home on Sunday, ESPA will hear from Allison Melangton, president, Indiana Sports Corporation. As the past president of the Super Bowl XLVI Host Committee and producer for NBC for the London Olympics 2012 (gymnastics competition), Melangton will provide attendees with a look at service through the lens of vision and its partners uniqueness, creativity, activities and solutions with the goal of transforming the service function into an end-product asset.
Joan Eisenstodt, meetings and hospitality consultant, facilitator and trainer, Eisenstodt Associates, will also explore issues event service professionals face and ways to ethically manage the gray areas of people, policies and practices. Also covered will be disaster preparedness and CSR. The last session on Sunday gives event service professionals the opportunity to collaborate “roundtable” style with invited meeting planners on pre-established industry topics.
“In order to exceed our customers’ expectations, we need to continuously perfect our service skills through education and networking opportunities,” said David Dvorak, president, ESPA. “Our 2013 Annual Conference is even more special because we will be celebrating how far ESPA has come while providing attendees with an agenda full of engaging and timely industry topics delivered by a host of industry experts and experienced speakers.”
Hosted in partnership with Successful Meetings magazine, ESPA will announce the CSM of the Year Awards at the Conference during the Saturday luncheon on January 12. Also during the luncheon, ESPA will welcome the student recipient of the Donald S. Freeman Jr. ESPA Conference Scholarship as well as the deserving ESPA member who will receive the fourth annual William H. Just CAE, CMP Memorial Award.
